Summit Series Atlanta Dragway Week 7

Mike Puckett

SCCoA Member
I entered today's race tied for 1st in points and hoping to just have a good day. Well, I should have known something was up when about half way to the track I hear this pssssssshhhhhhh sound and think the popoff valve on my compressed air tank just popped and I'll have to refill it when I get there. Then I notice that the air coming from the air vents is getting warmer and warmer. Uh-oh that was R12 I smelled and not compressed air. So, down come the windows and I cruise on. I get to the track, tech in and set up camp in the pits. It's hot and humid with the temp at 99 in the pits. At 1pm we go to the line for our 1st and only time trial. It was a disaster! I bogged it off the line and ran a lousy 13.955 with a 2.239 60' time. At least my reaction time is in the .5's. The rains came and washed out our 2nd time trial so I was stuck as to what to dial. We were down for about 2 hrs but it cooled off to 89 but the humidity was awful at about 80%. So I set my dial-in at 13.5 to account for the better 60' time I usually run. On my 1st elimination run I'm up against a late model Mustang with a 14.65 dial. Amazingly we have identical .532 reaction times even though he leaves the line 1.15 secs ahead of me. I easily run him down, pass him, and pedal just enough to lead him across the line for the win and a 13.564 e.t. Off the gas with a 13.564? I better dial on down to my usual 13.3. On elim run #2 we line up again by chance. Unfortunately I miss 3rd gear, again!, and it's over. I buy back in and get ready for my 3rd elim run. This time I line up against a late model Camaro. He's dialed a 13.85 and I'm at 13.3. Well I should have left it at 13.5 because he ran a 13.92 and I ran a 13.536. I beat him on reaction time but was .236 off of my dial-in to his .07 and I went home early. I only picked up 30 points and will probably drop to a 3 way tie for 2nd or maybe 3rd. Next race date is June 26 and the half way point of the season. The competition is much keener this year than last with 6 or 7 of us going nip and tuck. Last years champ is pretty much out of the points race going home before I did and is apparently suffering from the 'next year jinx'.
 
Ouch... Ya never know how much you'll miss A/C until you don't have it.

That sure sounds like fun. Any thoughts on what causes the missed gear changes? I see that quite a bit from people. I've haven't ever really tried to get going fast enough to miss a gear, but I'm curious as to the cause. Is it just the adrenaline rush, or is it the transmission not allowing a fast enough shift?
 
I've figured out that it has to do with my clutchfoot timing with my arm. If I don't depress it all the way it'll re-engage before I've got it in gear. I'm keeping the power seat base on my racing seat so I can tilt the seat forward and push the clutch pedal further and disengage it longer. I tilted it forward a bit more after that and didn't miss any more. I'm glad the rev-limiter works. I really gonna miss that A/C in July. Fortunately I only need it during what is actually the coolest part of the day so it won't be too bad.
 
Back
Top